Factor that reduces yield of oil palm cultivation is pest infestations, and one of them is fire worm. Objective of the research was to study the extraction technique and application of the best biopesticides in order to reduce palatability of fire worm in the laboratory. The research was conducted at three locations as follow, at laboratory where biopesticides were made and applied, at laboratory of protection where compounds in biopesticides were analyzed, and at oil palm plantation of Muara Badak, where samples of the fire worm and leaves of oil palm were taken. The research was conducted for 3 months, which included preparation of materials and equipments, production of biopesticide, application of biopesticide, and took the data. The research used Factorial Randomized Complete Design (RCD) by two factors. Factor A is solvent, which comprises of two factors, water solvent and methanol, while factor B is bioextract that comprises of six factors, such as the control (K0), soursop’ seed extract (BS), soursop’s leaves extract (DS) and citronella extract (S), pepper’s seed extract (BL), and tobacco extract (T) along with 3 replications. Leaves were soaked into pesticide in accordance with the treatment, and then the leaves were applied to the fire worms for 7 days by putting leaves and the fire worms into stoppered glass jar, which was covered by muslin. The observed parameters include activity of the fire worms, the day when the fire worms die, and palatability of the fire worms. Results of the research showed that the best biopesticide, which could reduce palatability of the fire worm, is tobacco extract (T) and methanol as solvent that reach 100%, in which the fire worms avoided the tobacco-treated leaves and died within 2 hours following the application.
Keywords: Biopesticide, Fire Worm, Oil Palm, Palatability
